Theo Pinson, 5-star basketball recruit, commits to North Carolina

Theo Pinson, one of the top junior basketball players in the nation, committed on Wednesday to North Carolina. He made the announcement from his high school, Wesleyan Christian Academy in High Point, N.C.

Pinson, a 6-foot-6 forward, is athletic and could be a strong defender at the college level. He led his school to a state championship last season. He had reportedly also been considering Indiana, Louisville, Duke and Georgetown. The Hoosiers and Tar Heels were widely believed to be the favorites, with recruiting experts split on which school Pinson would pick.

Indiana had been making a push for Pinson. The forward's father said that the team had been “coming on full steam” recently. TheCourier-Journal's Steve Jonesreported Indiana coach Tom Crean had watched Pinson play multiple times, and Pinson's only official visit was to Indiana in February.

But Pinson chose to stay closer to home and join an already talented recruiting class. His commitment gives North Carolina pledges from three of Rivals' top 21 players in the Class of 2014. Forward Justin Jackson and guard Joel Berry had already committed to the Tar Heels.

Most of the top recruits are still weighing offers, but if Pinson, Jackson and Berry all stick to their commitments, the Tar Heels could be looking at a top-five recruiting class.